SEC Country offers up its “Best/Worst-Case Scenario” projections for the 2016 season, a countdown which begins with the SEC West.

To clarify, these spectrum predictions only include the 12-game regular season and the SEC championship on the first Saturday of December, if applicable.

LSU

Best-Case Scenario: 13-0 (SEC champs) Worst-Case Scenario: 9-3

ON THE PLUS SIDE

1. LSU has an above-average chance at sweeping its seven home outings (including Alabama on Nov. 5) and neutral-site season opener (vs. Wisconsin at iconic Lambeau Field).

2. The Tigers are also set up for a watershed 2016 campaign, riding the 2,000-yard goodness of junior tailback Leonard Fournette and relying on experienced, explosive talent on the defensive side of the ball.

3. Coach Les Miles should feel extra motivated to be aggressive and take chances along the sidelines, in response to the athletic department’s failed coup from last November. (If you’re going to shoot for the king … better take him out!)

5. Quarterback Brandon Harris (2,165 yards passing, 17 total touchdowns as a sophomore) may finally be ready to take a big step forward this fall.

6. If LSU should claim the SEC West title, it would be a prohibitive favorite to beat the East champion (presumably Tennessee, UGA or Florida). By extension, the Tigers would be a better bet to reach the four-team College Football Playoff.

7. LSU hasn’t knocked off Florida four straight times since the late 1970s. That streak could be replicated again this fall.

ON THE DOWN SIDE

1. It wouldn’t be a shock to see LSU lose to Alabama for a sixth consecutive time.

2. The Tigers have one of the SEC’s most difficult road schedules (at Auburn, at Florida, at Arkansas, at Texas A&M), devoid of a single gimme game.

3. Within that rationale, LSU owns a pedestrian 4-6 record in its last 10 true road outings (dating back to 2013).

4. It’s a legitimate worry. Harris’s junior-year progress could become stagnant, in lieu of the following stat: In their last 16 SEC outings (2014-15), the Tigers quarterbacks have averaged just 157 yards passing.

ALABAMA

Best-Case Scenario: 12-1 (SEC champs) Worst-Case Scenario: 9-3

ON THE PLUS SIDE

1. In the brief history of the four-team Playoff, Alabama stands as the only program to reach the national semifinals twice.

3. Alabama has fared extremely well the previous two seasons (two SEC titles, one national championship) while breaking in first-year starting quarterbacks. This bodes well for the 2016 campaign, when choosing among quarterback prospects Cooper Bateman (possible front-runner), David Cornwell and Blake Barnett.

4. The Crimson Tide defense has only surrendered 18 or more points 13 times in the previous three seasons (2013-15), for an average of 4.25 times per year. (Note: Thee national scoring average was 29-plus points in 2015.)

5. First-half prediction: Alabama opens the season at No. 1 and dispatches all comers during September and October.

2. We’re holding high expectations for Texas A&M this fall. From a power-rankings standpoint, the Aggies should be no worse than the SEC’s third-best team — trailing only LSU and Alabama.

The above statement will undoubtedly raise the ire of certain fan bases. But I will be proven right on Oct. 8, when Texas A&M hosts (and defeats) Tennessee, in one of the year’s most anticipated ‘crossover’ clashes.

3. Texas A&M has a good shot at going 4-0 in non-conference action, a doable slate that includes three tomato-can opponents (Prairie View, Texas-San Antonio, New Mexico State) and a home opener against UCLA.

4. The Aggies’ schedule, on paper, doesn’t feature many difficult back-to-backs. There’s Auburn and Arkansas in September … and there’s a bye week between Tennessee (home) and Alabama (road) in October.

5. For what it’s worth, the Aggies defense allowed 29 or more points just once last season.

ON THE DOWN SIDE

1. Texas A&M owns a 7-11 overall mark against SEC West opponents, dating back to the 2013 season. And against Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss, the Aggies have a 2-7 record during that span. Ugh.

2. It’s been a tumultuous offseason for coach Kevin Sumlin, and a rough start in September/October might make for an uncomfortable November on the hot seat.

3. A&M might encounter some problems with building its rushing attack from scratch, accounting for the loss of Tra Carson (1,348 total yards, eight touchdowns).

OLE MISS

Best-Case Scenario: 9-3 Worst-Case Scenario: 6-6

ON THE PLUS SIDE

1.Chad Kelly is vying to become the first quarterback in SEC history to pass for 4,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

4. Since 2013, Hugh Freeze is the only coach to defeat Nick Saban multiple times.

ON THE DOWN SIDE

1. It’ll be interesting to see how the Rebels endure without the supreme trifecta of receiver Laquon Treadwell, defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil — the most important recruits/performers of the Freeze era.

2. Ole Miss clearly has the SEC’s toughest September schedule, opening with Florida State (in nearby Orlando), taking on Wofford just five days later … and then hosting Alabama and Georgia on back-to-back Saturdays.

In other words, even if the Rebels are healthy and playing well during this span, they could still be 1-3 or 2-2 headed into October.

In fact, for 2016, the Rebels are one of the few SEC teams to play all four road games over two sets of back-to-backs.

4. Last year, Stringfellow scored four of his five touchdowns against SEC foes — including two against Mississippi State. On the flip side … only two of Quincy Adeboyejo‘s touchdowns occurred in conference (versus Alabama, Arkansas).

AUBURN

Best-Case Scenario: 9-3 Worst-Case Scenario: 5-7

ON THE PLUS SIDE

1. John Franklin III, a transfer from East Mississippi Community College, seemingly fits the mold of a classic dual-threat quarterback in a Gus Malzahn offense. (Full disclosure: This glowing sentiment once applied to Jeremy Johnson as well.)

If Franklin represents an upgrade at quarterback, the Tigers are easily primed for a winning record in SEC action.

2. Auburn got a major boost during the offseason, by simply standing pat. Defensive linemen Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams are back for their senior campaigns and ready to anchor an under-achieving defense which surrendered 27 or more points six times last year.

1. We lamented Ole Miss’s scary September earlier in the piece. Well, Auburn’s docket for that month runs a close second, with the Tigers hosting Clemson (presumably a top-five preseason team), Arkansas State (Malzahn’s old team), Texas A&M (dark-horse pick in the SEC West) and LSU (my pick to represent the SEC in the College Football Playoff).

Given Auburn’s struggles in the passing game (pre-Frankin, at least), a September mark of 2-2 might be acceptable.

2. The Tigers aren’t a victory lock for any of their four road games — at Mississippi State (Oct. 8), Ole Miss (Oct. 29), UGA (Nov. 12) and Alabama (Nov. 26).

ARKANSAS

1. Arkansas returns eight starters on defense; and that doesn’t even include Deatrich Wise Jr., who possesses the most physical upside of any Hogs defender.

2. Despite the graduation loss of Brandon Allen (school record-holder in touchdown passes), Arkansas should be in good hands at the quarterback spot, riding either Austin Allen (Brandon’s younger brother) or Ricky Town (one-time blue-chipper with Southern California).

3. There are also minimal worries about the Hogs’ running game, which no longer has access to Alex Collins or Jonathan Williams — the 1,000-yard pillars of seasons past. Arkansas coach Bret Bielema always puts his personal stamp on power football, and successors like Kody Walker, Rawleigh Williams III or true freshman Devwah Whaley should fare well, when given consistent touches.

(It also helps to have mammoth right tackle Dan Skipper and right guard Frank Ragnow anchoring the offensive line.)

4. History tells us Arkansas will finish on a strong note, regardless of the early growing pains. Covering the last two seasons, the Hogs are 6-2 in the month of November — including multiple victories over LSU and Ole Miss.

5. Arkansas might have been given a gift from the SEC scheduling gods, traveling to Mississippi State and Missouri in the final two weeks. We’re not expecting the Bulldogs or Tigers to contend for a bowl in 2016.

6. The Razorbacks’ receiving corps, led by Drew Morgan (63 catches, 843 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Dominique Reed (28 catches, 535 yards, six touchdowns), might have ranked first among the SEC East wideouts. Instead, it’s just another example of the West’s incredible talent and depth.

ON THE DOWN SIDE

From Sept. 24 to Nov. 12, spanning seven games and one bye week, Arkansas is only a healthy lock to beat Alcorn State. After that, it’s a 50-50 proposition (or less) against the likes of Texas A&M (road), Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn (road), Florida and LSU.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Best-Case Scenario: 7-5 Worst-Case Scenario: 3-9

MIXED MESSAGES

1. I have great respect for coach Dan Mullen and appreciate Mississippi State’s talent base, in the post-Dak Prescott world. However, it’s one thing to be impressed with the Bulldogs’ raw playmakers … and another to project easy victories in the big, bad SEC West.

At least in 2016.

2. Fred Ross (88 catches, 1,007 yards, five touchdowns) stands as one of the SEC’s best receivers; but it’ll be interesting to see if anyone can dependably/adequately fill the role of a No. 2 wideout.

Seriously, a cluster of 25-catch, 400-yard talents won’t cut it for a Mississippi State offense that no longer has Prescott, De’Runnya Wilson or Fred Brown.

3. Nick Fitzgerald, the strong-armed, fleet-footed successor to Prescott, has the look of a superb building block at quarterback.

However, there’s a steep price to pay in the interim … in the form taking his unavoidable lumps against the SEC West’s massive, cat-quick defenders.

ON THE PLUS SIDE

Among SEC defenders last season, linebacker Richie Brown finished third in tackles (108). Brown, who collected multiple sacks against Auburn and Missouri, also registered six outings of double-digit tackles.